Improvement in railroad-brakes



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

C. R. DAVIDSONJOF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILROAD-BRAKES.

Speciiication forming part ot' Letters Patent No. 27,038, dated February 7, 1860. i

To (elif wlw/1t zr may concern:

Be it known that I, C. R. DAVIDSON, of Brooklyn, in Kings county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Machine for Stopping Railroad-Locomotives and Railroad-Cars, (called (1. R. Davidsons Locomotive-Brake;) and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation ot' the same, reference being had to the annexed drawing, making a part of this speciiieation.

The portion of said drawing given in colors represents a general view of said machine.

7i shows a cock attached to the locomotive. Through this the steam may be" made to issne from the boiler (by the engineer turning it) into conducting-pipe I). By this pipe l the steam is conducted into cylinder (hand there pressing against the head of piston-rod I), which is connected with connecting-rod yr and guided by slides K K forces upward lever A by its connection at point i. That lever A, secured by heavy fastenings at point S and continued to point I, connects at point I with rubber or shoe I3, which connects with the short arm a and is pressed down upon the track-rails. 'lo throwback into its former position said brake, the engineer has to replace cock 71, into its former position, as represented on the drawing. This shut-s off the steam from the conducting-pipe P, and so from cylinder C. The steam in cylinder C is then wasted through a petcock at the bottom of said cylinder. The pressure of steam in cylinder C being removed by this waste,

the spiral spring M presses downward the head of piston-rod b, and thereby throws the whole combination back into the position represented in the drawings. This principle can be adapted to passenger and freightcars by means of a conducting steam-pipe running from the boiler through under the cars and having guttapercha connections between them.

The shoe vI5 is grooved on the under side and thereby made to fit nicely to the track, which secures an increase of friction-surface and also guards it from slipping off the track. It is made of the softest practicable kind of iron,which secures an increase ot' friction over harder material. lVith the action of the aforesaid combinat-ion upon it, rubber B may be made to sustain, if required, nearly the whole weight of the locomotive, thereby causing almost any desired amount ot' friction and therefore oi' resistance, both largely in excess of what can be produced by the present generally-adopted methods ot' braking railroadtrains.

I disclaim the invention ofa locomotive or car brake as applied to the track; but

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The arrangement of the grooved shoe B, lever A, cylinder C, and sprin g M, constructed as described, for operating brakes on the rails, as herein set forth.

C. R. DAVIDSON.

In presence of- GILBERT L. GIBERsoN, J No. H. JOHNSON. 

